SKILL 44: DISTINGUISH POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES AND PRONOUNS
Possessive adjectives and pronouns both show who or what "owns" a noun. However, possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns do not have the same function, and these two kinds of possessives can be confused on the TOEFL test. A possessive adjective describes a noun: it must be accompanied by a noun. A possessive pronoun takes the place of a noun: it cannot be accompanied by a noun.
Notice that in the first example the possessive adjective “their” is accompanied by the noun “book”. In the second example the possessive pronoun “theirs” is not accompanied by a noun.
These examples show the types of errors that are possible with possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns on the TOEFL test.
Each morning they read
Could you give me
In the first example, the possessive pronoun ‘theirs” is incorrect because it is accompanied by the noun “newspapers”, and a possessive pronoun cannot be accompanied by a noun. The possessive adjective “their” is needed in the first example. In the second example, the possessive adjective “your” is incorrect because it is not accompanied by a noun, and a possessive adjective must be accompanied by a noun. The possessive pronoun “yours” is needed in the second example.
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